Apparatus for combined pressure and vacuum shoe drying and cleaning

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a floor or pedestrian walkway comprising a multiplicity of valves which are depressed by the footwear of pedestrians whereupon high-pressure ambient or warmed air is directed to the underside of the footwear to remove dirt, snow, etc. Also provided is a source of suction in the vicinity of every valve to carry away the dislodged matter. Particularly, there is provided a novel valve which also serves to support the tread surface of the floor.

United States Patent [72] lnventor George Attle Pine Shores Road, Goulais River, Ontario, Canada [21] Appl. No. 881,508

[22] Filed Dec. 2, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 5, 1971 [54] APPARATUS FOR COMBINED PRESSURE AND VACUUM SHOE DRYING AND CLEANING 10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 137/362, 251/320, 15/345, 15/419 [51] Int. Cl A471 9/08, F16k 1/00 [50] Field of Search 137/362;

{56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,186,132 6/1965 Duncan et al 15/345 2,053,640 9/1936 Sloan 137/362 X FOREIGN PATENTS 611,177 10/1948 Great Britain 15/345 Primary Examiner-Arnold Rosenthal Attorney-Curtis, Morris & Safford ABSTRACT: There is disclosed a floor or pedestrian walkway comprising a multiplicity of valves which are depressed by the footwear of pedestrians whereupon high-pressure ambient or warmed air is directed to the underside of the footwear to remove dirt, snow, etc. Also provided is a source of suction in the vicinity of every valve to carry away the dislodged matter. Particularly, there is provided a novel valve which also serves to support the tread surface of the floor.

APPARATUS FOR COMBINED PRESSURE AND VACUUM SHDE DRYING AND CLEANING This invention relates to improved apparatus for the combined pressure and vacuum cleaning of the soles of footwear worn by pedesnians crossing the apparatus. The invention is more particularly directed to an improved air valve which has particular, but not exclusive use, in the aforementioned apparatus.

The invention is closely related and directly applicable to the subject mater of applicants Canadian Pat. No. 742,839 issued Sept. 20, l966 and entitled Method and Apparatus for Combined Pressure and Vacuum Shoe Drying and Cleaning.

In the aforementioned Canadian Pat. No. 742,839 there is disclosed claimed a floor containing a large number of closely spaced apertures. Each aperture contained a resilient valve, which when stepped upon caused a first part of the valve to open and eject a stream of high velocity air at the sole of the footwear and at the same time open a second part of the valve to provide suction to suck away any dislodged dirt. It was further envisaged to provide a heated stream of high velocity air.

Applicant has now discovered that in order to be fully effective, the floor, which is conveniently made of sheet metal, must contain a very large number of apertures and valves and that these weaken the plate considerably. In order to compensate for weakening, applicant now proposes a simplified valve which valve serves also as a support member for the floor.

Further in applicants prior Canadian patent, there is disclosed subject apparatus wherein suction, for the removal of dirt, is only applied when the valve was depressed. This has now been discovered to be an unnecessary complication. in the first place applicants prior apparatus, as disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 742,839 required that the suction valve be urged towards its closed position by suitable resilient means which, of itself, was an unnecessary complication and expense. Secondly, there was always the strong possibility that fragments if grit etc. would inhibit complete closure of the suction valve in any case. Since continuous suction is not an expensive commodity and has the advantage that surface cleaning of the surface of the floor may be made a continuous process, applicant now proposes valve units for use in the floor which are both simpler, capable of closer spacing and which collectively support the weight of the floor.

it is an object of one aspect to provide a simple combined floor support and valve for actuation by mechanical pressure applied directly to the valve.

In accordance with foregoing object the invention comprises a combined structural support and valve comprising:

i. a valve body member having a first end for the reception in and passage through an aperture in a first structural member and for substantially gas-sealing engagement therewith, a second end for the reception in an aperture in a second structural member and for essentially nongassealing engagement therewith, first and second abutment means for maintaining said structural members in spaced apart relationship, at least one longitudinal gas passage extending throughout the length, a valve locating bore extending throughout the length, a valve seat formed at that end of the gas passage adjacent said first end,

ii. a valve pin slidable received in said bore, said valve pin extending beyond each end of said body member and including valve-sealing means selectively engageable with said valve seat, and,

iii. means urging said valve-sealing means into gas-sealing engagement with said valve seat, said valve-sealing means being separable from said valve seat in response to longitudinal movement, in a selected direction of the said valve pin to permit the flow of gas through said gas passage.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

H0. 1 is a side view, in section, of a position of the floor comprising a surface plate, a middle plate and a bottom plate.

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 11-11 in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. l and 2 the floor as a whole is indicated at l, and comprises a surface plate 2, a middle plate 3 and a bottom plate 4. All three plates may be formed of steel, iron, plastics, masonry, etc. or a combination thereof.

The surface plate 2 contains a multiplicity if spaced-apart apertures 11, of diameter about 7/8"l", each of which is preferably divergent towards or chamfered 0r tapered on, the lower surface of the surface plate 1].

The middle plate 3 is likewise perforated with a similar number of apertures 12 as in the top plate, each aperture 12 being axially aligned with an associated aperture 11 in the top plate and if required, threaded.

Between the top plate 2 and the middle plate 3 there are disposed valve assemblies, generally indicated at 5, each comprising a body member 50 which is provided with a shoulder 51 adjacent the lower end, a portion 3, which may be threaded but not essentially so, which portion 3 is received in an aperture 12. The body member 50 is hollow from end-to-end to accommodate a valve pin 60, to be described. The valve also contains a plurality of longitudinal gas passages 55 extending the whole length of the valve body.

The upper end of the body member 50 is mushroom shaped, as at 52 and the upper surface of the mushroom portion provided with plurality of supports 53 disposed adjacent the periphery of the mushroom.

The lower extremity of the valve body member 5 is formed into a valve seat 54 which may be flat, as shown, tapered or curved, as desired. The valve pin 60, includes an upper portion 61, a lower portion 62 and a valve shoulder 64. The upper surface of the valve shoulder 64 is provided with a sealing washer 66 formed of a suitable valve material for example leather, rubber of plastics. The diameter of the upper portion 61 is selected to provide sliding clearance between it and the body member 5. It is also envisaged that the plurality of gas passages 55 may be dispensed with and in lieu, the valve pin portion 61 made of sufficiently smaller diameter than the bore of the valve body 5. The annular passage thus formed may then provide the same passage for gas flow as the passage 55.

in either embodiments, the sealing washer 66 serves to shut off the passage if gas when the sealing washer abuts the end 54 of the body.

The dimensions of the lower portion 62 of the pin are selected so that the lower extremity 68 of the pin allows the pin to move downwardly until the lower extremity 68 abuts the lower floor member 4, and the valve sealing washer 66 separated from the valve seat 54. The length of the upper portion 61 of the pin 60 is selected whereby the upper extremity of the pin is substantially flush with the upper surface of the surface plate when the valve is open. The valve elements may be formed of any suitable metal, ceramics or plastics material.

As discussed in Canadian Pat. No. 742,839, the space between the floor plate 2 and the middle plate is subject to suction from a suction pump, not shown. Similarly, the space between the middle plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 is subject to high pressure, say 50 p.s.i., air or, other gas, by means of a pump, not shown. The gas may be heated, if desired.

in operation, pedestrians using the floor will depress a number of valves immediately below the footwear thereby causing high-pressure air, or other gas, to be ejected vertically upwardly onto the underside of the footwear. Any dirt dislodged from the footwear is then drawn downwardly over the surface of the mushroom heads of the valves, and into the space between the surface plate and the middle plate, by means of the suction pump connected thereto. No valve springs are necessary since, air pressure below the valves keeps the valves closed when not foot-actuated. although it is contemplated that springs could be used in certain applications.

Positive air pressure between plate 3 and 4 urges the valve to its closed position because, neglecting the presence of valve shoulder 64, end 68 of the valve pin so defines an effective area against which the positive pressure acts, while the end 65 defines another effective area against which a lower pressure (usually atmospheric) acts.

The present invention represents a considerable simplification of applieants prior apparatus, as described in Canadian Pat. No. 742,839. Further, this invention provides a well-supported floor, a reduction in the number of parts, a considerable saving in construction costs and enhances reliability. The top plate may be lifted off, say once a year, to clean out any jammed particles and for cleaning the low pressure air space. While the valve body has been shown to have a mushroomshaped head, it is envisaged that any shaped upper end is used provided that an annular air passage is maintaining and that a foot engaging portion protrudes above the surface of the surface plate.

Other embodiments falling within the terms of the appended claims will occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A combined structural support valve comprising:

i. a valve body member having a first end for the reception in and passage through an aperture in a first structural member and for substantially gas-sealing engagement therewith, a second end for the reception in an aperture in a second structural member for essentially nongas-sealing engagement therewith, first and second abutment means for maintaining said structural members in spaced apart relationship, at least one longitudinal gas passage extending throughout the length, a valve locating bore extending throughout the length, a valve seat formed at that end of the gas passage adjacent said first end,

ii. a valve pin slidably received in said bore, said valve pin extending beyond each end of said body member and including valve-sealing means selectively engageable with said valve seat, and,

iii. means urging said valve-sealing means into gas-sealing engagement with said valve seat, said valve seating means being separable from said valve seat in response to longitudinal movement, in a selected direction of the said valve pin to permit the flow of gas through said gas passage.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a plurality of longitudinal gas passages spaced around said bore.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said longitudinal gas passage comprises that annular space defined between the said bore and the valve pin received therein.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means urging said valve-sealing means into gas-sealing engagement comprises first and second effective areas upon which positive and negative gas pressures produce a thrust.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further including a bottom member spaced away from from and below the associated end of said valve pin by a distance substantially equal to the distance moved by said valve in opening.

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end and wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered if divergent.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end and wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered of divergent.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered or divergent and further including protuberances on said mushroom-shaped second end for spacing that end away from said second structural member.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered of divergent and further including protuberances on said mushroom-shaped second end for spacing that end away from said upper plate.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first end of the valve body member and the said aperture in the first structural member is threaded. 

1. A combined structural support valve comprising: i. a valve body member having a first end for the reception in and passage through an aperture in a first structural member and for substantially gas-sealing engagement therewith, a second end for the reception in an aperture in a second structural member for essentially nongas-sealing engagement therewith, first and second abutment means for maintaining said structural members in spaced apart relationship, at least one longitudinal gas passage extending throughout the length, a valve locating bore extending throughout the length, a valve seat formed at that end of the gas passage adjacent said first end, ii. a valve pin slidably received in said bore, said valve pin extending beyond each end of said body member and including valve-sealing means selectively engageable with said valve seat, and, iii. means urging said valve-sealing means into gas-sealing engagement with said valve seat, said valve seating means being separable from said valve seat in response to longitudinal movement, in a selected direction of the said valve pin to permit the flow of gas through said gas passage.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a plurality of longitudinal gas passages spaced around said bore.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said longitudinal gas passage comprises that annular space defined between the said bore and the valve pin received therein.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means urging said valve-sealing means into gas-sealing engagement comprises first and second effective areas upon which positive and negative gas pressures produce a thrust.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further including a bottom member spaced away from from and below the associated end of said valve pin by a distance substantially equal to the distance moved by said valve in opening. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end and wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered if divergent.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end and wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered of divergent.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered or divergent and further including protuberances on said mushroom-shaped second end for spacing that end away from said second structural member.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said valve body member includes a mushroom-shaped second end wherein the apertures in said second structural member are chamfered, tapered of divergent and further including protuberances on said mushroom-shaped second end for spacing that end away from said upper plate.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first end of the valve body member and the said aperture in the first structural member is threaded. 